SHEPHERDSTOWN, West Virginia (CNN) - There may be new pressure on her to concede defeat in her quest for the White House, but Hillary Clinton had a familiar message Wednesday for Democrats calling on her to end her presidential bid: “I’m staying in this race until we have a nominee.”

Clinton told reporters she was not swayed by new exit polls that suggest the bitter primary battle may be dividing the party. “I just don’t believe that. I think we’ve had a historic record turnout by both of us bringing people into the Democratic Party,” said Clinton.

She stressed her continuing quest to make sure full delegations from Florida and Michigan were represented at the Democratic convention this summer. The party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is meeting later this month to try to resolve the dilemma – but Clinton made it clear Wednesday that she didn’t think any ruling from that panel was necessarily the last word.

“Under the rules of the Democratic Party, the Rules and Bylaws Committee makes the first determination,” she said. “And if people are not satisfied with that, then people go to the credentials committee, so we’ll see what the outcome is.”

Asked if she would drop out once Obama reaches the 2,210-delegate mark, Clinton responded: “Well, I’m glad you used the figure 2,210, because I think that’s the right figure because that includes the seating of delegates from Michigan and Florida, something that I have said consistently… for months now, has to be resolved.

“….So 2,209 or 10 is the number, and at some point one of us will get there.”

soundoff(157 Responses)

What happened to the gas tax holiday? Did she think we forgto that since yesterday?

What a phony, phony, phony.

Stick a fork in her, she's done, done, done.

O/08

May 7, 2008 06:25 pm at 6:25 pm |

RJK

Keep trying to change the rules or mold them to your liking and you will end up in trouble just like in Paul vs. Clinton! Come on CNN, fair and balanced, please post.

May 7, 2008 06:25 pm at 6:25 pm |

David Goldman for OBAMA

FOLKS DON'T YOU ALREADY KNOW? RULES

ARE NOT MADE FOR THE CLINTONS.

WE FOUND THAT OUT QUITE A WHILE AGO.

THEY ARE JUST BETTER THAN THE REST OF US?

May 7, 2008 06:25 pm at 6:25 pm |

True American

Clinton herself said that "Florida and Michigan votes won't count". She also agreed to the DNC rules, and so did all others like Edwards, Obama, etc.. Now she wants the votes to count only because she's loosing badly. If we are honest, we can see the Clintons change the rules as they play this election. They say only big states count. Do not forget that the states Clinton won are states that any democrat will win in November, expect Ohio, but if Obama is the nominee, ofcourse he will win there. Florida & michigan, Obama always say they must be seated in a fair way, which is acceptable for both sides. I blame the media for supporting Hillary on this. She agreed to the rules, and wants to change the rules now, because she's loosing bad. it's a shame the media wants to further divide the democratic party. If you are the media, speak the truth. Tell everyone the truth that she agreed to the rules, and that the rules were in play and she also signed it. If she cannot be trusted in running a honest compaign, how can i trust her as a President ?

May 7, 2008 06:26 pm at 6:26 pm |

JHR Arizona

Hillary go away and go back to New York. You are DONE!

May 7, 2008 06:26 pm at 6:26 pm |

mary landsfind

hey cnn, why aren't you reporting on obama's new supergeledate endorsements? i just saw that he got at least 6 endorsements today and hillary got 1! you reported that one endorsement that hill got, but none of the 6 that obama got. please try to at least show some fairness!

May 7, 2008 06:26 pm at 6:26 pm |

Bill P.

What Senator Clinton now needs to do, before she becomes a cartoon figure, is to bow out and support Senator Obama. She has fought the good fight. Let's not destroy the party for the sake of her ego!

May 7, 2008 06:26 pm at 6:26 pm |

Loretta Miller

It is time for Hillary to leave the race. I voted for Bill and would have voted for Hillary until I started to listent to Barak Obama and her on the issues. I would never vote for her in any capacity now. The longer she stays in the race, the more damage she is doing to the Democratic party. She and her backers keep trying to change the rules in the hope she can somehow win. We in the United States "preach" democracy to other nations in the world, yet the Clinton's think it does not apply to them when they w ant something. Enough of this already. Obama is the choice of the people. Hillary go back to New York.

Loretta

May 7, 2008 06:27 pm at 6:27 pm |

Carol

It's the Clinton way. Make up the rules as they go along as it suits them.

And to all those he who continue to incorrectly state that Obama is blocking a revote, no he isn't.

It was my Michigan leaders who voted not to have a revote as it was suggested, ie mail in or a primary paid by four wealthy Clinton backers. As is there wouldn't be any questions about that, there would as there should be. Whether it would have been paid by four Clinton backers or four Obama backers.

Thank you for being so concerned about us Michigan voters, but we can speak for ourselves thank you. And it was Michigan Democratic leaders that put us in this position by breaking the rules, not Obama or anyone else.

May 7, 2008 06:27 pm at 6:27 pm |

jnkekoa

I hope she continues and fights to the death (yes I know her campaign is already dead).
The reason? I believe she is frighteningly incompetent and dangerous, and I do not want there to be any future risk of her ever seeking national office again.
And she's very close to that point of no return right now... keep going, just a little further over the edge, you lunatic genocidal buffoon!

May 7, 2008 06:27 pm at 6:27 pm |

Nevada voter for Obama

We DO have a nominee, for all intents and purposes. HRC just needs to back her moving truck out of Democratic HQ and let Obama get to the business of campaigning against McCain, already!

May 7, 2008 06:27 pm at 6:27 pm |

Jim in Calif.

Sen. Clinton felt she had a personal mission and destiny to become America's first woman president. That was a noble, worthy and historic goal, and she must feel deeply disappointed not to reach it. Clinton must search her own inner self and find the courage to accept Obama's almost certain nomination and work for the higher good of her party and the country.

Now is the time for all Obama supporters to embrace Clinton's supporters, not gloat over his probable victory and not rub theri noses into the dirt! Now is the time for Sen. Clinton to make peace with her self, stop the denial and new math, accept the primary results, and move on to support the party's campaign against John McCain!

May 7, 2008 06:27 pm at 6:27 pm |

Tyler in Raleigh, NC

Is this what she wanted to teach when she voted for "No Child Left Behind"?????

Sounds a little more like cheating and rule breaking and less like math and democracy to me. She has as many voices as colored pantsuits, one for every day and every audience.

She wants to pretend she is blue collar and she has never worked a real job or dealt with the real America as she sips her Crown Royal Canadian whiskey with McCain under sniper fire in Ukraine. I mean really, when your campaign manager has to defend you by saying you take shot contests with your opponent and that makes you a "real American", GAME OVER.

May 7, 2008 06:28 pm at 6:28 pm |

New Hillary Math

Well folks, here we go again. The woman will not give up....even when the real numbers say she lost. Okay, so Hillary new math has added on to the original 2025 number.

Not buying it, she does not rule this country, the people do, and the people have spoken.

Also, her time frame is 2012, so she will keep the Dems stringing along until she's good and ready. Wake up Dean, she pulling you by your nose.

Obama 08

May 7, 2008 06:28 pm at 6:28 pm |

td

She only began chirping about seating the delegates from Michigan and Florida when she knew she was LOSING. I'm sure it's hard to accept defeat – but get over it, Hill. You are damaging yourself, your husband's legacy and the Democratic Party by your stubborn refusal to let go of this. You will not be the first woman president.

To her supporters – for anyone to suggest that Obama supporter's are a cult and that it's somehow Obama's fault that the delegates in Michigan and Florida would not counted, are simply delusional. They will be seated – maybe not the way you would like them to be. Even at that – were she to get those ILLEGAL votes, by all the math she STILL WILL NOT WIN THE NOMINATION.

Let it go, move on, and get behind the Democratic nominee for President – Barack Obama.

May 7, 2008 06:28 pm at 6:28 pm |

Concerned Canadian

Hillary Clinton should be given every opportunity to run the process out. You have to play 9 innings...not 7 innings for a full game. There is no weather watch involved here to end the primary race prematurely.

Factor in that 100 percent of African Americans primarily have voted for Barack because he's Black , and factor in Florida and Michigan haven't been counted yet no thanks to Obama , is falsely leading the Democratic Party to select their nominee. This is why the most important thing to do is let the process run out.

The Clintons will not agree that Barack who in all probability will finish with less than 2025 delegates gets the nomination. Its false and not definitive. He has less than 2025 and so will Hillary have less than 2025. There is no clear winner !! Thats the math folks.

Fix the math error. How ? Instill the full contigent of delegates to 2,210 I think , which includes Florida and Michigan...all 50 states. Last time I checked the US has more than 48 states.

With all the media bashing Hillary received and all the Wright , Sezko and Ayers etc., controversy surrounding Obama, its in the Dems best interest strategically to let the course run out. If not, you can guarantee there will be a lot of dissatisfied voters and supporters in the Democratic Party and this is the worst case scenario to go into the general election.

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

Dem

I like Hilary's tenacity.

If we are not careful, Obama will get the magic number 2,210, beat John MCsame in the General Election and Hilary will still be running.

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

Over

You lost Hillary, send Chelsea back to work and go back to the Senate. They can stand your lies, we can't. America is done, we can't take one more lie.

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

EBC

What the HELL is new math? Has numbers in regards to adding and subtracting change in the last 100 years?

The Clinton Goonies need to just stop with the madness!!

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

GL

Next she'll be asking to include Canada and Mexico. Only fitting after her helping get NAFTA pushed through for Bill.

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

Keith

Tommorow Wolf Clinton...Er...Blitzer, interviews Obama. If Wolf asks one stupid question about Rev. Wright. I will throw my TV off the balcony. The cat is out of the bag. Everyone except cnn knows that Rev. Wright is working to elect Hillary Clinton. In the so called controversial speech, Rev. Right gushes with praise for the Clintons. But of course the news does not air that part of the speech. Nor does the news mention that Rev. Wright was a confidant and counselor to the Clintons when Bill was chaseing skirts in the White House. If the news media had an ounce of integrity, Rev. Wright be a Clinton controversy.

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

Rules Hillary, Rules

I hope the DNC Rules Committee will finally explain to Ms. Hillary that rules are rules and there are serious repercusions to breaking rules. Yes, seat the MI and FL voters by splitting them down the middle...the only fair way to all parties–voters, candidates and the other states that played by the rules.

May 7, 2008 06:29 pm at 6:29 pm |

a middle aged white woman in SF

Hillary has come up with NEW MATH. This woman will stop at nothing. She is so blinded by her own ambition that she won't see the inevitable writing on the wall. Go Home Hillary. You lost, now go.

May 7, 2008 06:30 pm at 6:30 pm |

ObamaEdwards08

The real mistake would be to put a Clinton back in the White House.

But hey, maybe Hillary keeps running just to raise funds to pay herself back for all the money she loaned her campaign. Or maybe there's a debt to pay or obligation to fulfill if she makes it to the White House. Who knows? No matter, VoteBoth will never happen (or at least, I hope it won't). If Hillary is on any ticket, I'm abstaining from voting for president this year. Seriously. She's from an era of negativity that needs to end.

Enough of the older generation of John McCain. They were Great, but it's time to retire, Mr. McCain. Enough of the selfish, cynical boomer generation of Hillary Clinton. No more division in this world!

We need new blood. A new generation. Obama is our JFK. Let us have our day. It has finally come and we won't let anyone take it away. If it is, this won't be good for our nation or the world. We need newer, fresher ideas for a world in chaos.

A global world view, not so America-centric. Obama is a man of many people – the United Benneton of the presidential race.

I agree with other bloggers: Obama should pick John Edwards for VP…this would clinch every single one of the voter demographics whom Obama needs, and would prove he's not a black racist, nor tied to any extreme belief systems. Edwards has been in the race and is known by voters. Edwards is well-known, very likeable, popular with Dems and Independents alike; a solid American who would be a formidable VP candidate.

Obama*Edwards '08?

Yes, we CAN and Yes, we SHOULD

May 7, 2008 06:30 pm at 6:30 pm |

Keith Cornelius

I don't see why the call for Hillary to get out of tyhe race nothing has changed...Obama Lost IN. and won NC, which is what was predicted.
Actually OBAMA said that IN. would be the tie breaker....so what gives now.....Everybody is afraid of OBAMA for one reason and one reason only....HE IS BLACK and if they go against him the blacks of this country will go nuts....
THE DNC BETTER UNDERSTAND CLINTON SUPPORTERS WILL GO FOR McCAIN...they had screwed her royaly........I for one will be voting McCain and leaving the Democratic party.....They can't run an honest primary how the hell they going to participate in a general election....I speak facts which every politician is afraid of....